ذكرتكمُ عند الزُّلالِ على الظَّمَا

ذكرتكمُ عند الزُّلالِ على الظَّمَا

فلم أنتفعْ من وِرْدِهِ ببلالِ

فلم أنتفعْ من وِرْدِهِ ببلالِ

I remembered you beside clear water, parched with thirst,

I remembered you at the spring amid the shadows,

yet drinking it brought me no relief.

but gained no benefit from its flowing water.

وحدَّثتُ نفسي بالأمانِيّ ضَلَّةً

وحدَّثتُ نفسي بالأمانِيّ ضَلَّةً

وليس حديثُ النفسِ غيرَ ضَلالِ

وليس حديثُ النفسِ غيرَ ضَلالِ

And I spoke to myself of hopes, in folly,

I spoke to myself with lost hopes,

yet the soul's talk is nothing but delusion.

for the speech of the soul is but going astray.

أواعِدُهَا قربَ اللقاءِ ودونَها

أواعِدُهَا قربَ اللقاءِ ودونَها

مواعيدُ دهرٍ مولعٍ بمَطالِ

مواعيدُ دهرٍ مولعٍ بمَطالِ

I promise it a reunion soon, but in its way

It promised me nearness of meeting, but beyond it

stand the promises of Time, enamored of delay.

are the promises of an age bent on delay.

يقَرُّ بعيني الركبُ من نحو أرضِكم

يقَرُّ بعيني الركبُ من نحو أرضِكم

يَزِجُّونَ عِيساً قُيِّدَتْ بكلالِ

يَزِجُّونَ عِيساً قُيِّدَتْ بكلالِ

The caravan from the direction of your land delights my eye,

My eyes watch the caravan coming from your land.

as they urge on pale camels fettered by weariness.

They move slowly, their anklets bound with rings.

أطارحهُمْ جِدَّ الحديثِ وهزلَهُ

أطارحهُمْ جِدَّ الحديثِ وهزلَهُ

لأحبِسَهمْ عن سيرِهم بمقالي

لأحبِسَهمْ عن سيرِهم بمقالي

I exchange with them talk both earnest and playful,

I address them seriously or lightly

to hold them back from their journey with my words.

to detain them from their travel with my words.

أسائلُ عمَّنْ لا أُحبُّ وإنَّما

أسائلُ عمَّنْ لا أُحبُّ وإنَّما

أريدُكمُ من بينهمْ بسؤالي

أريدُكمُ من بينهمْ بسؤالي

I ask about those I do not love, yet

I ask about those I do not love, just so

I seek only you among them with my question.

I can pick you out from among them in my questions.

فيعثُرُ ما بينَ السؤالِ ورجعهِ

فيعثُرُ ما بينَ السؤالِ ورجعهِ

لساني بكم حتَّى ينُمَّ بحالي

لساني بكم حتَّى ينُمَّ بحالي

Then, between the question and its reply, stumbles

So between the question and its answer

my tongue over you, until it betrays my state.

my tongue stumbles over you until my state is revealed.

وأطوي على ما تعلمونَ جوانحي

وأطوي على ما تعلمونَ جوانحي

وأُظهرُ للعُذَّالِ أنيَ سَالي

وأُظهرُ للعُذَّالِ أنيَ سَالي

And I fold my ribs around what you know,

And I fold what you know of my wings,

and show my reproachers that I have forgotten.

and show the spy that I have slipped away.

ولا والذي عافاكمُ وابتلى بكمْ

ولا والذي عافاكمُ وابتلى بكمْ

فؤاديَ ما اجتازَ السُّلوُّ بِبالي

فؤاديَ ما اجتازَ السُّلوُّ بِبالي

No, by Him who spared you and, through you, afflicted

By Him who restored you to health and tested my heart with you,

my heart—forgetting you has never crossed my mind.

never has my heart transgressed with my thoughts of you.